Homeandgarden

My wife, Posh, is part Pilgrim. She's got all these funny ideas about religion and sex and is even pretty puritanical when it comes to what to stuff the turkey with. "No oysters!" she's always shouting. "Why not?" "No oysters!" she shouts again, like the zealot she is. Immediately, she goes back to stirring sauces and thwopping big metal pans with wooden spoons, which is what Pilgrim wives do for kicks. "Loosen up, woman," I say. "Yeah, loosen up, woman," say her sons, which always goes over very well.

For wine lovers with a sense of humor and a taste for the modern, this bird decanter -- a new arrival at the Los Angeles store Fitzsu -- is a welcome change in the way one might aerate a favorite red. The profile suggests Scandinavian design, but the piece is actually mouth-blown glass from Italy. Think fun and functional: The low, wide bowl benefits younger vintages that need more room to breathe, and the shape of the piece allows for graceful handling and serving. Simply straddle your index and middle fingers around its leg and cradle the bowl in the palm of your hand, then pour.